Aristotle's master-piece, or, The secrets of generation displayed in all the parts thereof ... very necessary for all midwives, nurses, and young-married women.

CHAP. VI. A more peculiar and exact Treatise of the bappy Estate of Matrimony, as 'tis ap∣pointed by God; and the true Felicity that redounds thereby to either Sex, and to what end it was Ordained.

CErtainly, the joyning of Hearts in a Matrimonial State, is of all conditi∣ons the happiest; for then a Man has, whom to unravel his Thoughts to, as well as a sweet Companion in his Labour, he has an Internus Sensus, another self, one in whose Breast, as in a safe Cabinet, is repor∣sed his inmost Secrets, especially where Reciprocal Love, and inviolate Faith is centered; for there no cares, fears, jealou∣sies,

Mistrust or Hatred, can never inter∣pose; for what Man, as 'tis observed in Holy Writ, ever hated his own Flesh, and indeed a Wife is no less, if rightly cosider∣ed; for as our grand ••arent well observed, she is or ought to be so esteemed of every honest Man, Bone of his Bone, and Flesh of his Flesh, &c. Nor was it the least care of the Almighty, to ordain so near a Union, and especially for two causes, the first for increase of Posterity, the second to bridle and bound Man's wandering De∣sires and Affection; nay, that they might be yet happier, when God had joyned them together he blessed them, as `tis in the 2d. of Genesis. Colamela, no mean Author, con∣sidering and contemplating on this happy State, tells us out of the Occonomy of Xeno∣phon, that Matrimonial Conjunction ap∣pointed by Nature, is not only the most pleasant, but profitable cour••e of Life, that may be enterred on, for the preservation & increase of Posterity; wherefore, since the harbour of Marriage is most safe, and a sure and delightful station of Mankind, who is exceeding prone, by the dictates of Nature, to propagate his-like, he does in no wise provide amiss for his own Tranquility who enters it, especially when he comes to maturity of years, ••or there are many a∣buses

and errors in Marriage, contrary to what is ordained; the which, in the ensu∣ing Chapter I shall expose to view; but to proceed.

Seeing our blessed Saviour and his Apo∣stles, detested obscene and unlawful Lusts, an•• pronounced those to be excluded the Kingdom of Heaven, that polluted them∣selves with Adultery and Whoring, I can∣not conceive any objection can be made thereto, or what face such lude Persons can have to colour their impieties; who hating Matrimony, make it their study how they may live freely and licentiously without Marriage; but certainly, in so do∣ing, they rather seek to themselves torment, anxiety and disquietude, then certain plea∣sure, besides the hazard of their Immortal Souls; for certain it is, that mercenary Love, or as the wise Man calls them, Har∣lots smiles, cannot be true and sincere, and therefore not pleasant, but rather a Net layed, to betray such as trust them, into all mischief, as Solomon observes by the Young man, who turned aside to the Harlots, House going, said, As a Bird to the Sn••re of the Fowler, or as an Ox to the Slaughter, till a Dart be struck through the Liver. Nor in this case can they have Children, those sweet and indearing Pledges of Conjugal

Love, or if they have, they will rather redound to their shame than comfort; Harlots likewise are like Swallows, singing and chattering to their morning walk, and Summer Season of Prosperity, but the black stormy Winter of Adversity coming, they take Wing, and pass into other Regions, to expand themselves before a warmer Sun; but a vertuous chaste Wife, fixing intire Love upon her Husband, and submitting to him as her Head, and him, by whose dire∣ction she ought to steer in all lawful cour∣ses, will, like a faithfull Companion, share patiently with him in both adversities, run with cheerfulness through all Difficulties and Dangers, though ne're so hazardous, to preserve or assist him in Poverty, Sick∣ness, or whatever else is incident to Hu∣mane Frailty, acting according to her Duty in all things; when a proud imperious Harlot will do no more than she list, even in the prosperous day, and is like a Horse∣leach, ever craving, and never satisfied, still seeming displeased, if she have not every thing she desires, not regarding the Ruin and Misery of him, she with flattering and feigned Charms, pretends to admire, and dote upon him, using to confirm her Hy∣pocrisie, with Crocodile's Tears, Vows, and

Swoonings, when her Gallant is to depart for a while, or seems to deny her immo∣derate Desires; but this lasts no longer than she can gratifie her Appetite, and prey up∣on his Fortunes. Conradus Gnessn••r tells us a story, That a young Man travelling from Athens to Thebes, met by the way a Beauti∣ful Lady, as to his Appearance she seemed, a∣dorned with all perfections of Beauty; glitter∣ing with Gold and precious Stones, who Salu∣ted him, and invited him to her House in an adjacent Village, pretending to be exceedingly inamoured of him, and declared she had a long time watched the opportunity to find him alone, that so she might declare the extream Passion she conceived for him. When he came to her House, he found it, to appearance, very sumptuously built, and gloriously furnished with whatever could seem costly and gay•• which so far wrought upon his covetous In∣clination, that he resolved to put off his intended Journey, and comply with her Desire; but whilst she was leading him to see the pleasant Places, came by a Holy Pilgrim; who perceiving in what danger the Youth was, resolved to see him in his right Senses, and shew him what he ima∣gined real, was quite otherwise; so that by powerful Prayer, the mist was take•• from before the Youth's Eyes, when as he

beheld his Lady Ugly, Deformed, and monsterous, and that whatever had ap∣peared glorious and beautiful, was only trash. Then he made her confess what she was, and her design upon the young Man, which she did, saying, She was a Lamiae, or Fairy, and that she had thus inchanted him, on purpose, to get him into her power, that she might devour him. This passage may be fitly alluded to a Harlot, who draw those that follow their misguiding Lights, into places of danger and difficulty, even till they have shipwracked their Fortunes, and then leave them to struggle with the tem∣pestuous Waves of Adversity. But on the contrary, a loving, chaste, and even tem∣pered Wife, seeks what she may to pre∣vent such danger, striving on the one hand to pr••serve it, as much as the other does to destroy it: And in a word, as there is no content in the embraces of a Harlot, so there is no joy greater than in reciprocal Love, and the indearing Embraces of a loving, obedient, and chaste Wife; nor is that the principal end for which Matri∣mony was Ordained, but further, that Man might lawfully procreate his like, and increase in his Generation, to replenish the Earth•• To conclude, a vertuous Wife is a Crown and Ornament to her Husband,

and her price is above Rubies, but the ways of an Harlort are deceitful.